Did I mention a Haley?

After leaving the school gate I asked her, "Where do we live?"

"Up at 6th Avenue, why?" she asked with a curious look on her face

"A friend of mine asked and I didn't know, so I figured I should ask for future reference."

"So how was school?" she asked me

"It wasn't so bad for a first day. I actually befriended someone today. Her name is Amanda." I said with a smile.

"You mean the girl that everyone thinks is a freak?"  She asked me.

"She is not a freak okay! You people just don't understand her that's all." I countered

"She saw an angel and lived to tell the tale Kyle" she said as if it was obvious that she had lost it, "Who would understand that?"

"You met me and you're still alive" I said annoyed.

"That's a different case and you know it" she said.

"I thought you humans were the most understanding race."

"Look, we are understanding but then that understanding has a limit okay." She defended, "You can't drop a bomb like that and expect us to treat you like a normal person."

I decided to change the topic and ask her about work. She started going on and on about all the samples that she was processing since morning. I found it weird that she did not mention her boyfriend even once. I was happy that she had had a busy day. At least she did not have the time to wallow in her sadness. As we were talking, I happened to look out the window and to my unexpected surprise, I saw Manda. She was still walking.

Ashley was talking about her friends from work when I said "Speaking of friends, do you think we could give mine a ride home?" I asked with a puppy face.

"I cannot do that" she said without even thinking twice.

"What!" I exclaimed "Why?"

"Because I simply don't feel like it" she replied and expected that to be reason enough.

"Just stop the car will you" I said. Having no other choice, she obliged. I turned and saw Manda frozen in place. She was hesitant and I could tell that she was even considering turning back.  I opened the door and stuck my head out of it and beckoned her to come over. Seeing my face, she was hit by a wave of relief and quickly rushed over. She got in the car and sat next to me.

"Could you drive her to 47th Avenue please?" I asked very nicely and in a tone so nice that she couldn't refuse.

There was this awkward silence in the car. It was so thick that you could've been able to cut it with a knife until Ashley broke it. "So, you are Amanda." She said matter of factly.

"Yes Mrs. O'Casey." She said which made Ashley chuckle. Honestly I would have too. I mean, Ashley is too young to be my mother. Manda did not even ask why she had chuckled, or maybe she hadn't even heard her. They started having a civil conversation like two women who were meeting for coffee for the first time. I was awed by Manda's ability to match Ashley's mindset. They were having an actual conversation about human science, and, honestly I was bored by the whole thing. Coming from a more advanced world will do that to you. They were talking about all the advances that science can make, things that I had seen happen in my world already. Having nothing to do but listen to the two, I decided to lower my mental barriers and stretch my mental links. I felt all the feelings of people come to me in waves; sadness, joy, determination, anger guilt, pity, I took them all in. I was about to send out waves of assurance and hope when I saw a hand moving right in front of me. I quickly recoiled my mental links and got thrown back into the present. The car had stopped and the two were staring at me with concern in their eyes.

"What?" I said completely unfazed, I mean what was there to hide.

"Are you okay back there honey?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah I'm fine what's up?" I asked.

"What's up is that you looked dead" replied Amanda.

"What do you mean I looked dead, I'm alive am I not?" I asked her.

"I called you 5 times Kyle, and you didn't respond even once" she replies.

"Sorry, I guess I was thinking about something…" and then my voice trailed away in to murmurs and then silence.

"Yeah sure, we would continue this conversation on how you freeze every now and then but we have arrived at my place so I have to be off," she said pointing at the big mention she lived in.

"I hope to ride with you again soon." said Ashley to Amanda before she goes.

"Stop being weird." she said pointing at me.

"What did I do?" I looked at Ashley.

"Ask her, not me" was all she said.

I sank deep into my seat as we turned and headed home.

"Your friend is nice and easy to converse with." said Ashley to me after a moment of silence

"What happened to you thinking that she is crazy?" I asked completely surprised, "are you sure she did not inject you with a serum full of craziness?"

"Seriously Kyle, you should invite you over sometime." she said.

"I just met her today and you already want me to invite her over to your house?" she was seriously worrying me at this moment. "What made you take a liking into this girl?" I asked her

"She is strong despite the fact that people do not like her which is obvious, she does not take that into heart. She gives a chance to anyone who is willing to talk to her."

"That is true." I said to myself after she responded. "I will make a plan after I think about it but I'm not promising anything." I told her.

We continue chatting until we got home. She opened the door and walked in. as I also walked in after her, I picked up a sent that was not familiar to me but I just discarded it and did not care much about it. I went to my room and dropped my bag on the bed. I took a closer look on the bed and something was off with that but I didn't pay much attention to it, I mean, why should I care it's probably nothing. I went back to her and I found her in the kitchen getting ready to cook.

I sat on the table and looked at her as she moved up and about. Suddenly, she said "you don't talk much about yourself or your family if you have one."

"Maybe because there's nothing much to say about them or me." I responded. You should at least tell me about yourself then, even if it's little."

"Okay, where do I start… okay I used to live with my father, my two brothers and my sister-"

"And I'm guessing you are the youngest?" she asked.

"Of course I am." I responded

"Then why is daddy's little boy so far away from home?" she asked again.

"My brothers were jealous of me, actually they were jealous of my abilities so they got rid of me." I said looking away from her.

"I'm confused. How did they get rid of you?" she questioned further.

"By making sure that I would never get back home again." I answered.

"So that's why you fell from the sky?"

"Yep." I told her.

"And how old are you?" she continued questioning me.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked.

"Just to compare your age with my sister's, which kind of reminds me, my sister's supposed to arrive today at about 6:30 p.m." she told me. I had known for a while that her sister was going to come and live with us, plus we would be attending the same school. "I have been meaning to tell you but it just slipped my mind."

"Does your sister smell like chocolate?" I asked her.

"Yeah, maybe. Why?"

"She is already here." I told her.

"No, that can't be. She hasn't arrived yet." she disagreed.

"There are three heartbeats in this house not two." I said pointing at her and then me. "She is not in my bedroom though. I raised that before she could go there."

She went out of the kitchen that was already that was already filled up with the smell of boiling beef. Ten minutes later she came back with a girl that was almost as tall as her, with exquisite features. She was almost like Ashley but only with extra beauty. She was still a little sleepy but when she saw me sitting on the table her eyes widened. I quickly looked away as she tried to look into my eyes so as not to lock eyes and grow the desire to look into her mind.

"hi." she waved at me.

"Hello Haley." I looked at her this time, "how are you?"

"I'm good." she replied

"I'm Kyle-"

"O'Casey" she finished, "she told me." She said pointing at Ashley.

"Well, well… she doesn't tell." I said looking at Ashley. She shrugged her shoulders and went to tending to her pots. Haley came and sat next to me.

"My sister told me that you are a lien. Is it true?" she asked me.

"Maybe I am, maybe I am not. Nobody really knows." I said looking at Ashley, "I did not know you could cook." I said to Ashley. "Are you a good cook?" I asked her.

"Sometimes I am when I'm in a good mood." she replied

"And why exactly are you cooking today?" I questioned, "We could have just order pizza as always.

"Well, sometimes it's good to cook. It helps you to relieve stress and think about something else." I then decided to leave the kitchen and when Haley asked me where I was going I told her that I was heading to my room and that I had something to do. I could hear the two conversing after I left but I didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. When I got into my room my I looked at my alarm clock and the time was 6:30 pm. I jumped onto my bed and waited for when the time was right. I quickly stretched my mental links as far as I could and then I chanted until I got tired and then I searched for Amanda and found her. She was in her bedroom and apparently she was smiling while lying on her bed which was a first. Once I was satisfied, I pulled back my links and was in time to find Haley opening the door.

"Your mother" she said while using her hands to create quotes, "she sent me to come and get you." she told me as I got up. "What was that blue light that was shining under the door?" she asked me. I decided to play ignorant and said I did not know. We walked to the kitchen and we continue talking the three of us. It was quite fun. Dinner was way better and the meal was delicious. The night was way too thick and we had to rest. Haley and I shared the room and the bed which was kind of uncomfortable at first but as we continued talking it got better. She finally dozed off and I remained awake. I didn't want to fall asleep. I knew my demons were waiting for me, not to mention my brothers.